'Walking with the wounded' ministry

Pastor Michael Mitchell poses inside New Life Free Will Baptist Church with his family and first two church members. Pictured are, front row, from left, Holley Mitchell, 12, and Taylor Mitchell, 9; second row, Mitchell and his wife, Melissa Mitchell; and back row, Tina and Steve Jenkins.

By Jackie Bridges

Published: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 07:39 PM.

For seven years, Pastor Michael Mitchell said he ran from God’s call. Instead of preaching and pastoring, he became addicted to prescription drugs.

“I went through a lot and put my family through a lot,” Mitchell said. “I worked all the time and I got so tired and fed up with my life that I knew there had to be something better. I wanted a change. I know what that change was – I had gotten out of church.”

After he went through rehabilitation, he told his wife he was going to do what God had called him to do.

“God laid on my heart ‘Walking with the Wounded’ ministry,” he said. “For people who have been in churches and have gotten hurt through legalism or people who have been in storms. I want to serve God and to feed and clothe people and to see them come to Christ.”

Church building found on Craig’s List

The first service at his new church, New Life Free Will Baptist, 1473 Foust Road, Shelby, was held in February. The church is a block building that Mitchell and his first two members, Steve and Tina Jenkins, found on Craig’s List.

For seven years, Pastor Michael Mitchell said he ran from God’s call. Instead of preaching and pastoring, he became addicted to prescription drugs.

“I went through a lot and put my family through a lot,” Mitchell said. “I worked all the time and I got so tired and fed up with my life that I knew there had to be something better. I wanted a change. I know what that change was – I had gotten out of church.”

After he went through rehabilitation, he told his wife he was going to do what God had called him to do.

“God laid on my heart ‘Walking with the Wounded’ ministry,” he said. “For people who have been in churches and have gotten hurt through legalism or people who have been in storms. I want to serve God and to feed and clothe people and to see them come to Christ.”

Church building found on Craig’s List

The first service at his new church, New Life Free Will Baptist, 1473 Foust Road, Shelby, was held in February. The church is a block building that Mitchell and his first two members, Steve and Tina Jenkins, found on Craig’s List.

Mitchell, who lives in Clover, S.C., had been looking at a building in Dallas, but it was going to take too many improvements to transform a former tanning bed salon into a church building.

“The building inspector said we needed to find a building that used to be a church,” Mitchell said.

He and his wife, Melissa, thought that would be impossible, but that night, he started looking on Craig’s List and saw the building in Cleveland County.

“A church just magically appeared,” Mitchell said. “We fell in love with the building and the community.”

Included with the building were church pews, a podium, a piano and organ.

“God brought it together,” Jenkins said.

‘Wanting to do something for God’

Jenkins met Mitchell at a church in Dallas, where Mitchell was preaching a revival.

“My wife and I wanted to do something for God,” Jenkins said. “We met him, and he wanted to do the same thing. He had a thirst for the same thing. We have been saved and brought out of the darkness into life, and we want other people to experience what we have.”

Attending the first Thursday night service held in February were Jenkins and his wife and Mitchell and his wife and two daughters. In two months, they have welcomed 10-16 people on Sunday mornings and have two new members.

They have also reached out to the community and have already gathered food and clothing to give to those in need.

“We are looking out for the people who need help,” Mitchell said. “The people who really need help won’t come to you and ask for it.”

Want to go?

New Life Free Will Baptist Church is located off N.C. 150 (Cherryville Road) at 1473 Foust Road, Shelby. Service times are: